Guardian
by Hashilavalamp
Summary: Hashirama is worried by the recent behavior of his friend, who seems to be isolating himself more and more. He believes that Madara needs something to tie him to the village. And that something he decides, is a child. After some convincing, Madara reluctantly takes the girl in. [AU setting. Eventual SasuSaku, HashiMada.]
1. Little sapling

**Yo, posting this here from my askblog because I'd like to have this story in a more compact format!  
I have the first three chapters already written and I don't plan on giving up on this project.  
There are pairings, but it takes a while for them to really be relevant/apparent, so do be patient.  
**

* * *

Hashirama thinks it is a good idea.

Konoha was born over a year ago and Madara has lived alone for just as long. It appears as if the creation of the village only served to make him recoil from others more than ever. On missions where he is required to have a team at his side, he leads the way and the others merely follow from a safe distance and words unrelated to their mission's objective are rarely exchanged. And when Madara returns, he has no friends to welcome him back and to kill time with him.  
Since he has been elected Hokage, Hashirama can no longer fill that role for him, even if Madara let him.

Which does not mean he stopped trying.

One day, he stops by Madara's house early in the morning, barely suppressing a grin tugging at his lips. This is a serious matter and it must be treated as one, or else Madara will not agree to this; it is questionable in the first place if he will.

The Uchiha is disgruntled and disoriented during these early hours and he glowers at his former friend when he slides open the door to chase away the unfortunate soul stupid enough to wake him.

„Madara" calls Hashirama in that serious tone that is entirely reserved for business to let Madara know that this is a matter of utmost importance; Madara reacts accordingly and straightens his posture, though his displeased scowl remains on his face.

The Senju sighs at the sight of this, momentarily contemplating whether maybe this was not the most brilliant idea, steps aside and the small girl hiding behind him comes into Madara's view.

„This is Sakura."

Madara protests.

He refuses to take in a child, much less one that is not even of blood relation to him.

He is not fit for such a role, he already struggles with keeping himself from doing very stupid things.

He has a clan to run and missions to go on (though he suspects Hashirama would give him less of those, should he agree to this) and to feed himself and keep himself rooted somehow so he won't crumble.  
He can't take care of another human being, wouldn't Hashirama know that better than anyone else?

But as usual, once the other has set his mind to something, no matter how outlandish and downright insane, he is unrelenting.  
It's like trying to defend yourself against a storm, a tsunami, a force of nature, and Hashirama knows this, and he takes advantage of it. And Madara is too tired to fight at this point, so he struggles for a while but eventually gives in.  
It should not be long until Hashirama realizes his mistake in enforcing his will.

While the grown men argue with one another, the child remains quiet with a worried look on her face.  
A few times when they raise their voices, she tears up but bites back the tears, which Madara does appreciate.

When he speaks the words of agreement laced with anger, Sakura takes a tentative step forward and squares her shoulders in an attempt to appear confident.  
„I am Sakura Haruno and I am five years old. Very pleased to meet you" she says in the most serious voice she can muster and bows respectfully, though she almost stumbles.

Exasperated, Madara nods his head in acknowledgement. „I am Madara Uchiha. I will be your guardian from today on" he responds, frowning. He does not bow, of course.  
From his peripheral vision he can tell Hashirama gives him one of these warm, encouraging smiles.

Madara is Sakura's guardian now and he is determined to keep it like that.  
It's a term he deliberately chose.  
He shall guard her and keep an eye on her, from afar. He will not get close to her. He will not replace her parents.

He shall be her guardian, and nothing more.

The first few weeks are excruciatingly awkward.

For several months Madara has lived in mostly solitude and it rubs him the wrong way to have this peaceful existence ripped from him. He has cats, those are sufficient company on most days and they can take care of themselves.  
Now there is this small human he was forced to let into his house, into his little sanctuary and it's incredibly uncomfortable to him to have his space invaded like that.  
At first, Sakura avoids him. The only signs that she is around is the blur of pink from her hair and the pattering of small feet on the floor boards when she hides from him.  
As on the first day, she only leaves her little hiding places when Madara has prepared some food for them and then, she keeps her eyes downcast and is jittery.  
Her parents just died and she was sent to live with this stranger; her behavior is understandable.  
He intimidates her.  
That is perfect fine with him. It means that she will not bother him with myriads of questions like children tend to do and she will not ask him to play with her and entertain her, and she washes herself and goes to bed early without him needing to prompt her to, so he can pretend he is still living on his own.

But after the first two days, he grows antsy because it is somehow unnerving to have another human in your house who does not talk to you.

Hashirama can try to keep him in Konoha, but all too soon Madara needs to leave for a mission.

There is the issue of finding some place to stay for that little child.

Madara scoffs a little, bitter. When he was her age, he was much more independent; his parents would have left him to his own devices under such circumstances and he would've had to search for help on his own.  
Hashirama reminds him though that there is no war anymore and she doesn't need to grow up under the harsh conditions such times dictate.

The words hang in the air between them and suddenly Madara feels like screaming and tearing at his skin, or mutilating Hashirama like that. He feels bitter and envious because he realizes that this generation won't know what he does and the thought seemed desirable before, something he could fight for, but now that he is confronted with it, it is unbearable.  
But he stays still, if oddly stiff.  
Lashing out would not get him anywhere, it would betray too much of his feelings.

So he leaves Hashirama behind and searches for Sakura.

He finds the little girl in the garden behind Madara's house, squatting next to the tiny pond there and curiously observes the fish beneath the water's surface. She is so engrossed that she does not notice him approaching until he crouches down next to her.  
She gasps – she is really awfully inattentive, this needs to change, he silently notes – and almost topples over into the pond, but Madara reaches out to stabilize her.

Sakura gulps, but she manages to meet his eye, which not even some grown men do. He thinks, while he intimidates her, she does not actually know much about him.  
She doesn't know who Madara Uchiha is and not why people speak his name as if it were dripping with venom. There's a strange sort of comfort in that, but it has a bitter aftertaste.

Madara explains to the little girl that for the next week he will be absent and she will stay with a clan member, an old woman that he has known since his own early childhood and who is very capable of taking care of children.  
The prospect of living with yet another stranger seems to unsettle her and she looks like she's going to object for a moment and will refuse to go live with that woman for a while, but she shuts her mouth again, green eyes large and fearful despite her attempt at bravery.  
He has already packed the few things she owns, some clothes and a small box with sentimental content that could be rescued from her late parents' home. He carries the small bundle as he accompanies her to a house on the other side of the compound.  
Madara is greeted coldly by the woman, her gaze sharp and oddly scolding, but nevertheless she takes the girl in without a word of complaint.

Without a look back, Madara leaves, too eager to get out of this place.

What he does not know, during Sakura's stay at the other household, she learns about Madara Uchiha.

When he returns to the village, he almost forgets to pick her up again.

When he recalls, he curses loudly and rushes to the other side of the compound to get her; he won't allow the impression that he is incapable of taking care of a little child, no matter how easily they break. He was tasked with her wellbeing, and he will carry out that task.

When he arrives, Sakura looks at him, actually _looks_ at him and she smiles and waves a little.  
A hesitant, slightly anxious gesture, making Madara stare.

He's suddenly somehow really uncomfortable in his own skin and he feels awkward all over again.

When he shifts his gaze to the lady who took over his role for a while, he can see the shadow of a tightlipped smile on her face as well and he understands.

He is not yet a pariah among the Uchiha. There is still a remainder of support.

„Welcome back" says Sakura, her voice somewhat steady, when they walk back home side by side.

Madara does not reply, but he nods to let her know that he has heard her.

He hesitates, bites his lip.  
He asks what she would like to eat that evening.


	2. Taming the Beast

**Chapter 2, now edited and hopefully improved. Do enjoy!  
**

* * *

Truth to be told, Sakura would rather stay with the old woman than with her quiet guardian.

The woman's name is Michiko and she allowed the girl to play outside with some of the other children of the compound, even if those were wary of her, eyeing her and her pink hair with dark slanted eyes. And also she cooked delicious food and distributed it among the people living in the household in gracious portions, very unlike Madara. It was also louder and more lively there than in his small house; his cats were the only sort of company she had had there and while she liked them, they didn't seem to like her much in return, and even if they did like her, they were no proper substitute for human contact.

At least not for her; Madara seems quite content with just them.

She pouts slightly as she walks beside him, thinking about how now surely her days will be quiet and boring again, and so unbearably lonely.  
Madara never talks to her!

(Her heart clenches because the quiet makes her remember her parents.)

The old woman had told her in private that Madara is not one for conversation by nature, a very solitary person, and Sakura should not take it personal if he does not talk much to her.  
Sakura should respect his silence and not bother him much.  
He has a short temper, the woman says, and does not know how to handle children.

That was hardly a comfort for Sakura, because even when Madara did talk he made her feel unwelcome and it made her sad and feel even lonelier than she did when she was all on her own, like there will never be a home for her again.  
One night the girl grew so miserable that the old woman relented and explained why Madara is the way he is.

She said Madara was a powerful man, once, but also very lonely because all of his family was dead and nobody liked him anymore. She would not say exactly why nobody likes Madara, maybe because he's so grumpy all the time, or maybe because he likes cats more than people.  
It was all a little confusing to Sakura, but she did grasp that Madara is a sad person and the woman was telling her to not get sad over that, and that if she behaved, Madara would like that and maybe be a little less sad.  
He is like her, she realized, they both don't have family anymore, and it made her want to make him happy.

When Madara asked her now what she would like to eat, Sakura was delighted because he'd never asked her that before. He had always just prepared a small simple meal for the both of them without bothering to ask whether she liked the food. And the girl didn't dare complain then if the taste or texture weren't to her liking because the portions were so small and it would still occasionally leave her not quite sated if she ate what she wasn't.

Now that she has been given the opportunity to pick something she likes for dinner though, she is unsure just how much she can demand, the old woman's words still ringing in her ears. If she behaves well, if she holds back and doesn't demand, Madara will be less sad, he might open up.

But restraint is difficult, giddiness takes over and she promptly asks for onigiri, could she have some with fish, and how about rice and vegetables? At the end of the day, she is just a small child, and hard times lie behind her.

Her quiet guardian looks down at her with a frown marring his face, momentarily scaring the little girl. She doesn't avert her eyes though, even as the dread spreads from her core.

Seconds tick by, and Madara relents with a huff, closing his eyes in exasperation.

Sakura hopes he can't see her triumphant grin, because somehow it fills her with glee to have him, somebody who seems to be so feared by others, adhere to her will.

It's not a much that she given, but she is grateful for the meal anyway. She hasn't felt that whole in a while, and the silence feels a little less empty.

From then on, Madara ventures out of his comfort zone tentatively for one or another attempt to make Sakura feel welcome, mostly by getting her food she likes.

On one memorable occasion, he shows her how to approach the huge cat Kira that has made his home her own several months past.  
Since her arrival, Sakura had been dying to pet her and stroke her fluffy looking fur. The feline however, a creature with a hostile nature, had scratched the girl the one time she had approached the cat in a brave attempt to stroke her.  
Madara tells her in a calm tone to pay a lot of attention to the cat's body language to avoid such incidents. As he speaks about what the numerous signals mean, Sakura listens with rapt attention, eager to understand the ways of the cat, about which Madara seems to know a lot. She wonders about how long he's had cats around.  
When she asks, he merely shrugs his shoulders once and continues his lecture as if there had been no interruption.

Even more than she wishes to learn, she basks in the attention she is receiving in that moment, just happy that her guardian is spending time with her. His voice is still an unfamiliar one, and yet it is oddly soothing to her.

Following this little study in cat behavior and Kira's personality, Sakura immediately sets out to apply her newly acquired knowledge and tame the beast, brimming with confidence that she will succeed. She listened, and she is good at storing a lot of information, so in her mind there is no room for failure, for disappointment.

It takes her two long weeks of waiting to gain the trust of Kira, spent with quietly sitting next to the great cat and not getting too close as to not threaten her. Her determination, the childish fixation of a young mind, to befriend the cat overpowers her impatience.

Another three weeks of lying in wait and careful steps forward come and go, and then Sakura roams the neighborhood with the feline following her every step like a large shadow, earning her the grudging respect of the Uchiha children who look on with irritation, and a nod of approval from Madara that makes her heart swell with pride.

"Aa… I wonder, will he teach me more things now?" she muses one evening while she lies in bed, absently stroking the soft fur of Kira, who has comfortably curled up next to her.

Kira in reply merely nudges her head against Sakura's arm, sensing that she does not hold the child's full attention.

"So, how is Sakura doing lately?" questions Hashirama one afternoon, cradling the teacup in his hands.

It's been a while since both of them had had enough free time to properly sit down and drink tea together and admittedly, Madara has missed it. He is stressed and still uncomfortable at home, the one place he used to have a sense of comfort, and he missed having a friend to talk to.

And Hashirama remains his only friend.

Madara grunts in response, not really in the mood to give a more elaborate answer. And sure as hell not for the lecture he is sure to receive because he knows that Hashirama does not particularly approve of his 'parenting'; the Senju had expressed that the few times he had come to check up on the girl through mild criticism.

Hashirama gives a dramatic sigh at the unresponsiveness of his old friend, then shakes his head in exasperation. "Madaraa" he says warningly with that familiar sulky tone and pout that Madara has despised since their childhood. (Though it did grow on him, didn't it?) With a roll of the eyes, the Uchiha drawls "The girl is doing fine. She's been behaving well, and she managed to befriend Kira."

There is a pause.

"What? What is it?" snaps Madara irritably, certainly not liking the way the other is gawking at him.

"Madara, what are you doing!" cries Hashirama, looking quite distressed, and almost knocks over his tea cup with a hand gesture closely resembling an aborted flail. "Don't tell me you honestly left her alone with that beast?! Kira could've killed poor Sakura!"

It's Madara's turn to scowl, because he will not let himself be insulted this way, how irresponsible does Hashirama think he is!

"I didn't just 'leave her alone' with Kira! I told her how to handle the cat, and she apparently listened attentively!" he retorts, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. He failed to see the issue in his approach; he had educated the child, had given her the means to succeed, and she had even surpassed his expectations. It had been a challenge, and she had managed. Isn't that a good thing?

The brunet across from him still gives him a very skeptical look, which still quite rubs him the wrong way. The doubt in his friend's eyes is like a little dagger.

"Did you supervise the whole thing?"

"No...? There was no need to. I provided her with proper instructions, and she clearly listened, so I deemed it safe to let her try on her own. And" he adds quickly, as Hashirama already opens his mouth with an incredulous expression that promises protest, "she managed it!"

"This is not how it's supposed to be" presses Hashirama though, obviously failing to comprehend Madara's reasoning. "Alright, she did manage", admits the Senju at Madara's glare, defensively raising his hands, "but still, something bad could've happened regardless that you could have-"

"And she would've learned from that—"

"Madara!", loudly exclaims Hashirama, and Madara is almost startled by how forceful his usually so mild-mannered tone became. "Don't even try that argument with me! It's perfectly fine to want her to grow up to be an independent individual, but this is really taking it too far! She is just six! Did you even know that, that she turned six just recently?!" Hashirama runs a hand through his long hair, a gesture of agitation.  
"Do I need to remind you that we are no longer living in times of war? Forcing children to be able to stand alone at such a tender age used to be a necessity then, but it was never an alright thing to subject a child to! They should be allowed to have a childhood and parental guidance now that they have the time, they shouldn't have to live like we did! Isn't this why we founded this village in the first place?!"

At the end of this rant, Madara remains silent, once again aware of just how important this particular issue is to Hashirama. And the Senju does have a point; it's just that it still doesn't sit well with Madara.

He just can't allow others what he had been deprived of.  
He doesn't want Hashirama to treat him like he is violating the principles of their village, as if he had forgotten, because he hasn't, but reality is harsh

And more so,  
he can't be Sakura's parent. He can't take that role, it would be like trying to fit two pieces together that clash no matter how hard you try.  
What he knows is how to eviscerate another man and how to slowly break apart his psyche in the most agonizing ways, he knows how to wield a scythe and has rudimentary knowledge of how to sew shut a wound, he knows how to wage war and how to run a clan,  
he doesn't know how to ensure a child turns into a decent human being.

He doesn't even know what a decent human being is, at this point.

Children are fragile little things, and Madara knows not to nurture but to break.

He can only hope to convey these thoughts to Hashirama through his eyes. Hashirama always had a strange way of being able to read him, when he _did_ bother to do so.

A defeated sigh leaves Hashirama's lips as he leans back in his seat. He takes a last sip of his tea, obviously contemplating something and Madara feels himself tense up when his friend's eyes land on him again.

"I'm going to help you as much as I can with taking care of her, alright?" Hashirama eventually offers, his tone absolute, telling him that there is no actual room for objection.

"You have to make an effort too, though. Try to spend more time with her, maybe you can teach her something again? This time with more guidance." He emphasizes the last part with a stern frown, almost foreign on his face.

With these words, Hashirama rises to his feet and swiftly leaves the teashop, leaving a somewhat stunned Madara behind.

Well, this had come a little unexpected. Unwelcome? A bit, because now Madara feels even worse about not being able to be a proper guardian to Sakura because he apparently requires help to do so.

He feels inadequate, but this is forgotten over the momentary outrage of having to pay the bill for the both of them, due to Hashirama disappearing just in time to evade it.


End file.
